WARTILE
- February 8, 2018
- Playwood Project
- 2h median play time
If you’re looking for something different as a fan of tabletop games and have the patience to bear with the controls, you’ll likely enjoy WARTILE.
Get on SteamWartile is a historical role-playing game with both single-player and multi-player modes, offering a good story, beautiful gameplay, ingenious visuals, and amazing music. It features a miniature universe inspired by Norse mythology and cool-down based combat to control the pace of battle, offering strategic decisions with tension and breathing room. Wartile is the successor to the upcoming game, Successor.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
Xbox One
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Beautiful graphics and unique tabletop aesthetics that bring the game to life.
- Engaging gameplay that combines real-time and tactical elements, allowing for strategic planning.
- Variety of character classes and abilities, providing depth and customization options.
- Limited content and replayability, with only a few missions available in early access.
- Clunky controls and UI issues that can hinder gameplay experience.
- Some players find the real-time mechanics frustrating compared to traditional turn-based systems.
- story113 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in Wartile is generally considered basic and minimalistic, serving primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a compelling narrative. While some players appreciate the Norse mythology and the thematic elements, many find the storytelling lacking depth and engagement, with repetitive missions and a simplistic plot that fails to captivate. Overall, the game offers a functional narrative that connects the missions, but it does not provide a rich or immersive experience.
“Wartile is a strategy game allowing the player to take command of a Norse warband on a quest to save their land from a mysterious plague.”
“The story is entertaining with an open end ;)”
“The Norse mythology references and storyline are accurately presented.”
“Add some soporific music and narration for a story that fails to engage, and I had no fun at all with this one.”
“While the game does have a storyline, it is as simple and basic as you can get.”
“The story is fine and strings the various battles into a gradual increase of difficulty and complexity.”
- gameplay93 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a unique blend of real-time and turn-based mechanics, which some players find engaging and strategic, while others criticize it for being shallow and repetitive. Although the visuals and mechanics are praised, many reviews highlight a lack of depth in tactical options and content, leading to a feeling of linearity and limited progression. Overall, while the gameplay offers a fresh experience, it may not satisfy those seeking more complex and varied challenges.
“Fun and strategic gameplay.”
“The gameplay is a fun blend between turn-based and RTS.”
“The core mechanic of the gameplay is excellent, and the balance between ranged, axe/shield, spear, and two-handers works well, with each type occupying its own tactical niche.”
“None of these units are very deep, so the core gameplay loop winds up feeling very boring and uninteresting.”
“It is very nicely drawn, but the tactical options are quite shallow and the gameplay becomes quite repetitive very quickly.”
“The concept of this game really grabbed me, but unfortunately the actual gameplay ended up feeling rather lifeless.”
- graphics67 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their unique tabletop aesthetic and beautiful art style, which many players find captivating and immersive. While some users noted technical issues, such as crashes and limited graphic options, the overall visual presentation, including detailed maps and character designs, has been highlighted as a standout feature that enhances the gameplay experience. Despite a few criticisms regarding the depth of content and gameplay mechanics, the graphics remain a significant draw for players, contributing to the game's charm and replay value.
“A fun game with absolutely beautiful graphics.”
“Beautiful visuals and plenty of replay value make this a must-have for fans of mythology, board games, and tabletop players.”
“The graphics, especially when zooming in, could be better but it is quite good still.”
“While the terrain and environments are beautiful in the preview video and photos, in-game the graphics feel drab and dated.”
“Lowest setting for all graphics lowest windowed resolution on a RTX 3070 and it crashes at the end of the first level.”
“The graphics, especially when zooming in, could be better but it is quite good still.”
- music28 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received largely positive feedback, with many users praising its quality and ability to enhance the overall experience. Reviewers noted the soundtrack's beauty and atmospheric qualities, often describing it as engaging and well-composed, with some even purchasing the soundtrack separately for personal use. However, a few comments highlighted that the music could feel repetitive or generic in certain contexts, but overall, it contributes significantly to the game's aesthetic appeal.
“Beautiful maps and graphic design with a fantastic soundtrack.”
“The music and voices are fantastic.”
“This game has awesome 'kick some nord-ass' music, beautiful graphics and serious 'come-to-life' characters.”
“Add some soporific music and narration for a story that fails to engage, and I had no fun at all with this one.”
“It's probably because I don't listen to music in action games and it's often too repetitive and generic sounding in strategy/adventure games.”
“Select them and the music stopped and it did nothing.”
- replayability9 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed, with some players noting low to mid levels of replay value due to a limited number of maps and recycled stages. However, others appreciate the ability to approach the same maps with different characters and tactics, which can enhance replayability without feeling grindy. The absence of community content, like a Steam workshop, further contributes to concerns about long-term replayability.
“Beautiful visuals and plenty of replay value make this a must-have for fans of mythology, board games, and tabletop players.”
“You can play the same map worlds with different characters and tactics at increasing levels of difficulty, which gives the game lots of replay value without being grindy or pay-to-win.”
“I do wonder about the replayability, but so far, that hasn't really been an issue yet.”
“There are not very many maps (seven, I think) and there is low replay value.”
“It lacks replay value at the moment, and the stages are recycled and reused with different objectives/settings.”
“Short campaign/low replayability.”
- stability7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 71 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting significant bugs, including sound glitches and issues with mission completion, which can detract from the experience. While some players have not encountered major problems, the lack of a proper save feature and the presence of various glitches suggest that the game is still in need of further polish, especially given its early access status. Overall, while it shows potential, players should be prepared for a somewhat unstable experience.
“Of course it isn't perfect, but no game is, and for having just released, it's mostly bug-free.”
“The game offers a stable experience overall, allowing players to enjoy the content without frequent interruptions.”
“While there are some minor issues, the overall stability of the game enhances the gameplay experience.”
“The lack of a proper save feature should be enough to warn most adults with limited time on their hands away from this, but the fact that this is still so buggy that I can't even complete the second mission...”
“There are sound glitches, teleporting enemy units, and movement glitches when using the shift key that make all your pieces enter another area, but the screen doesn't change and you are forced to reload the game.”
“The game is still very buggy.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some appreciate the replay value from different characters and tactics, many criticize the repetitive nature of farming for better equipment and the tediousness of movement and combat. The lack of vibrancy and clunky UI mechanics contribute to a sense of monotony, making the grinding feel more forced than enjoyable. Overall, the game offers replayability but at the cost of excessive grinding and unreasonable difficulty spikes.
“The scenarios you play in determine how many you can take with you on a mission, which leads to the other aspect of the game: its grinding.”
“There is very little vibrance to keep the player's eye on the action, which would be helpful as movement and combat feel incredibly tedious.”
“Therefore, in order to lengthen the playtime, the designer decided to enforce repetitive farming with unreasonable level difficulty.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive Nordic Viking theme, complemented by atmospheric music and well-designed maps. Reviewers appreciate the combination of strategic gameplay and a cohesive aesthetic that enhances the overall experience.
“I like its small but concise maps, hexagonal grid, battle mechanics, and Nordic Viking atmosphere.”
“+ Atmospheric music.”
“Brilliant and innovative strategic game with a nice Viking atmosphere.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted as both relaxing and entertaining, with players finding amusement in the contrasting opinions of those who downvote it without substantial playtime. The commentary on player expectations adds a layer of irony, suggesting that the game's comedic elements resonate well with those who appreciate its unique style.
“Relaxing, funny game with an incredible soundtrack.”
“It's so funny because the people downrating this have only 0.1-1 hours of game time; there's even one person who has 0.0 hours and still rated this game.”
“Apparently that's what a lot of people want... as comment sections are flooded with 'this game should have been turn-based garbage!' which is funny since Steam has a wide selection of garbage that you can sift through and find what you're looking for.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers suggest that improved optimization, alongside additional maps and content, could significantly enhance the game's appeal and elevate it to indie mega-hit status.
“More maps and content, along with better optimization, would make this an indie mega-hit.”
“More maps and content, along with better optimization, would make this an indie mega-hit.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers suggest that the game's unit acquisition and progression systems strongly indicate the potential for future microtransactions or a transition to a free-to-play model.
“Furthermore, the unit acquisition and progression hints heavily that the game will likely have microtransactions and/or go free-to-play at some point in time.”
“The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
“It's frustrating to see that essential features are locked behind paywalls, which detracts from the overall experience.”
Critic Reviews
Wartile Review (PS4)
Usually, you don't need a deep, compelling story when you're playing a boardgame, especially if it's one that you play against your friends. However, Wartile is trying to tell a story, but it fails miserably at keeping players entertained. It's a pity because that single negative aspect takes away a lot from the gameplay experience, which is quite fun overall. It's strange because if you play Wartile like a boardgame, you'll most likely have a ton of fun. Otherwise, Wartile is a video game where you'll just clear level after level using miniatures that move on map made of hexagons. Luckily, that is a very fun and rewarding experience as well, although it could have been much better. All in all, Wartile is a fair indie game: it is different, well-executed and humble. If you like tabletop games or if you are just looking for something different, tactical and fun, you will not regret the 15 hours spent moving the Vikings from hexagon to hexagon.
70%WARTILE GBAtemp review
WARTILE is a fine game and I’m glad that it exists despite not hitting its Kickstarter goal. It’s a relatively fun short romp. There’s a particular itch that this game looks so ready to scratch, but it can’t quite reach it. I can’t complain too much at $20 but at the same time I advise waiting for the game to go on sale. This game may have fell short of the potential I feel it had, but I nonetheless hope to see more from PlayWood Project Aps in the future.
65%WARTILE Review
If you’re looking for something different as a fan of tabletop games and have the patience to bear with the controls, you’ll likely enjoy WARTILE.
60%
